NEMA to Begin Distribution of Rice Palliatives to States

The National Emergency Management Agency, on Sunday, said it had commenced arrangements for the distribution of 180 trucks of rice to various states as recommended by the National Economic Council.

On Thursday the Federal Government announced a N5bn palliative for each state of the federation and 180 trucks of rice as part of measures to assuage the pains of the subsidy removal.

The subsidy removal policy, which led to sharp and multiple increases in fuel pump prices, has driven up the prices of goods and services, pushing millions of Nigerians into poverty and worsening the socio-economic situation in the country.

But announcing the release of the palliative at the end of the 135th National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja, the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, disclosed that the N5bn was to enable the state governments to procure 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilizers to cushion the effect of food shortage across the country.

He had added that considering the urgency in meeting the need to mitigate the skyrocketing food prices across the country, the Federal Government had the previous week released five trucks of rice to each state of the federation.

NEMA spokesperson, Ezekiel Manzo explained that the council had given the agency the responsibility to move the commodities, adding that the agency would also distribute relief items to some states.

In order to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, the federal government released five trucks of rice to each state last week.

The funding is to be shared with a formula of 52 percent given to states as grants, while 48 per cent of the N5bn is to be paid back on an instalment basis within a period of 20 months to the CBN by the states and the local government areas in Nigeria.